For the Love of Sneakers

The Wikipedia definition of being a Sneaker-head is as follows- A Sneaker-head is a person who collects, trades, or admires sneakers as a hobby. A Sneaker-head may also be highly experienced in distinguishing between real and fake replica sneakers.

Being a sneakerhead is something that is new to me. It’s like a new found love. Knowledge of shoes and brands is something that I was always had, along with an eye to spot fakes but being a serious collector is a different ball game altogether. To me being a sneaker collector is not about just picking up anything and neither is it a target number. I believe every collector should have a theme, eg- some people buy brands, some have twenty thirty colours of the same shoes and then there are people with loaded pockets who don’t know what to do with their money. My personal theme is to buy ‘Classics’. I like shoes with history, shoes which defined a generation, turned around a company, was a part of a historic event, basically a shoe with a story. If this sounds farfetched, trust me it isn’t.

For people with high aspirations and limited means (read money) like me, here are 3 tips.1) Be focused – Don’t be a fool and ride the hype. Know what you want, this will make you a little more profound and a little less likely to go bankrupt. If you don’t like a brand or model don’t buy it because everyone else has it. On the other hand, if you like a model and people dis it, don’t bother, get it. It’s your money and your collection.2) Be patient – Companies launch models and colorways every other day. This is, greater in the US and Europe as compared to India, but we are catching up. In my opinion, it’s worth holding on for the models you really want instead of buying what’s available. This has a long-term financial benefit and you’ll be able to add elite shoes to your collection instead of sitting broke when the real thing arrives.3) Do your research – This is extremely important for people who are model and price sensitive. If you are buying online, be careful counterfeits. Remember one thing, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you are going to make a major purchase look at multiple sites, explore your network. Eg – I tend to get shoes through my sister who lives abroad. On an average, I save 3-4k per shoe. Though the downside is that I need to wait to get them but I’m ok waiting 3 months to save up 10k in 3 pairs.